Chapter 263

Chapter 263: Snake Demon slaughters a village

The little girl answered in a trembling voice: “Elder Sister, my name is Little Shi. A few days ago, a terrible Snake Demon broke into our village. It killed so many people, there was so much blood…”

So there really was a village inside the Starfield Plain.

Little Shi shivered hard, curling into herself. Only now did Shen Sang Ruo notice the dried blood on the child’s hem and shoes, and her eyes flickered.

“My Father and Mother…” Little Shi’s eyes filled again as she looked up at Shen Sang Ruo, “I don’t have a Father or Mother anymore, Elder Sister. They died in the Snake Demon’s mouth so I could escape.”

Even the Dodder Flower Sprite couldn’t hold back from cursing by Voice Transmission: “Is that snake even a person? A beast with no shame and no honor. I despise it!”

Shen Sang Ruo cooled it with a dry splash of truth and said by Voice Transmission: “You say that like you didn’t try to use us as fertilizer back then. Isn’t that right, Dodder Flower Sprite Lord?”

The Dodder Flower Sprite sounded guilty: “Back then was back then. I only did that to get out of the Secret Realm, and I’ve already turned over a new leaf.” It swelled with pride. “Now that I follow you, I go wherever you point and fight whoever you say. Totally loyal.” Then it muttered to itself, “And no, it’s not because you’re holding my little yellow flower.”

It added with a sniff: “Besides, I only targeted real Cultivators. That Snake Demon went after ordinary people with no Spiritual Power. Even in the Demon Realm, that’s disgusting.”

Shen Sang Ruo drew Little Shi into her arms and patted her back to soothe her: “Little Shi, you did great. If your Father and Mother knew you escaped, they would be very happy.”

“Thank you, Elder Sister,” Little Shi said as she pulled away and wiped her tears with her sleeve.

Shen Sang Ruo took a few pills from her Cosmos Pouch and asked gently: “Are you hurt anywhere? Elder Sister has medicine.”

Little Shi shook her head: “No, Elder Sister, I’m not hurt.”

Shen Sang Ruo’s eyes changed slightly. Little Shi choked a little and showed the necklace hidden under her clothes: “My Father and Mother gave me a protective charm. They didn’t leave anything for themselves.”

Shen Sang Ruo swept it with her Divine Sense. It was a high-quality protective charm, so a few of her doubts eased. Otherwise, how could a child with no Spiritual Power escape a Snake Demon that could wipe out a whole village?

She could feel sympathy and still stay careful. For now, what she saw could make sense, but she wouldn’t drop her guard.

“Have you always lived here and never gone anywhere else?” she asked.

Little Shi shook her head: “No. Our family has been here for generations. We’ve never left.”

“Do you know you’re inside a Barrier Ward?” Shen Sang Ruo asked.

Little Shi looked blank and shook her head. Shen Sang Ruo nodded. [There are hidden villages that don’t want to see the world. That much is normal.]

Little Shi clutched Shen Sang Ruo’s sleeve and pleaded: “Elder Sister, are you strong? Can you come back to the village with me? There might still be people alive. Can you save them?”

“How much do you know about the Snake Demon?” Shen Sang Ruo asked in a calm, even tone. “Do you know its level? Or say it this way, how strong is it?”

There was a demon hurting people. No matter what, she had to go. That was a Cultivator’s duty.

“I think my Father and Mother said it’s a Mid Nascent Soul Stage old demon,” Little Shi said. “Is that very strong? Elder Sister, can you beat it? If not, it’s okay. We can run away, and I’ll get revenge myself one day.”

“I can beat it. Where is your village?” Shen Sang Ruo gave her a steady, reassuring look. She had already pulled Dragon Sinew from a Nascent Soul, Late Stage Flood Dragon; a Mid Nascent Soul Stage Snake Demon was not a problem.

Little Shi brightened and pointed the way: “This way, Elder Sister!”

As they walked, she shared everything she knew about the Snake Demon: “My Father and Mother told me there’s a mysterious treasure near our village. A Snake Demon is the Guardian Beast of that treasure and even calls itself the Master.”

“That Snake Demon is very cruel,” she went on. “It raises its power by devouring its own kind.”

Shen Sang Ruo’s eyes narrowed. [Devouring its own kind… a ruthless one.]

“We never dared leave the village because we were afraid we would step into its territory,” Little Shi said. “Later it devoured more and more of its kin and slowly lost its mind. This time it went crazy and rushed into our village. It started eating people. Elder Sister, you must be careful.”

“I know,” Shen Sang Ruo said with a nod.

Little Shi kept peeking at the black and white cub hanging at Shen Sang Ruo’s neck and finally asked, shy and hopeful: “Elder Sister, is this little black and white bear your Contracted Beast?”

“Yes. Why?” Shen Sang Ruo paused.

“Can I… touch it?” Little Shi asked, testing the waters.

Shen Sang Ruo smiled and offered more: “Of course. Do you want to hold him?”

“Really?” Little Shi’s eyes lit up.

Shen Sang Ruo lifted Zhu Miao down and placed him in Little Shi’s arms. As she had told him, Zhu Miao didn’t resist and even lightened his weight so the child wouldn’t struggle.

As soon as she hugged the fluffy ball, Little Shi’s focus shifted, and her anxiety eased. When they reached the village, she didn’t fall apart like before.

The village had once held more than a hundred households, but now it was a field of ruins. Every house had been smashed by overwhelming force, wiping away all signs of daily life and leaving only broken beams and shattered tiles.

Even from the debris, it was clear the place was old, not something newly built or faked.

A faint smell of blood lingered in the air. The blood on the ground had dried. From the wreckage, it was easy to imagine how terrible the fighting had been a few days ago.

The raging Snake Demon was nowhere to be seen.

With tears brimming, Little Shi asked, voice trembling: “Elder Sister, is anyone in our village still alive?”

Shen Sang Ruo swept the village with her Divine Sense, stayed silent for a moment, then slowly shook her head.

Little Shi couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into tears.

Shen Sang Ruo didn’t find a single body or a drop of human blood. The blood here belonged to the Snake Demon. If it ate people, then it must have taken every last trace.

She frowned slightly at the broad swaths of blood on the ground. [Why did the Snake Demon bleed this much?]

“Little Shi,” she asked in a low voice, “did your village have a Cultivator strong enough to seriously injure the Snake Demon?”

Little Shi answered at once: “Uncle Village Chief did! He was a Late Golden Core Cultivator. To save us, he Self-Detonated…”